Wonderful World

This movie was pretty bad. Number one, the "Africans" they found were African Americans and their accents were so damned dodgy that I don't know where they came from but it sure wasn't from Senegal. Secondly, the vision of the director was that of precolonial Africa. This family is from Dakar. They aren't from a remote village. Senegal has strong ties with France. You can get Nikes in Senegal. It is just cheaper in the US. This movie is not only flawed because it is a cliché of every vision that we Americans that never travel abroad have of the outside world. It could have been better. It could have been better translated. The story could have been more modern, less cliché, less Hollywood and let us think a bit on our own. Dear director. Not all of us are that stupid. We can think for ourselves.

I tend to see the true story and plot, and very well, because you see, it is many people's story. Hey! it is, to a large extent, my story in parts.

Ben is like many of us - a washed-out entertainer who has developed a cynical view or life, and a jaded point of view with many issues. The fact that he loses his job, loses communication with his only daughter, is forced to deliver pizza, does not help the man's character, but embitters it. I can relate to that. Like Ben, I am a thinker, who does not believe in taking things lying down. I would have gone all the way like he did when the city tow truck towed his car just when his dear Senegalese friend Ibou relapsed into diabetic shock and needed to get to a hospital.

But then, when Ibou's sister Khadi came from Senegal to help take care of him, changes sparked in Ben, slowly at first, almost imperceptible, then more and more pronounced. How could you not fall in love with the curvy Khadi, with her beautiful raw African features, her womanly confidence and her vision of "magic"? No pretentiousness here, no overbearing or meddling - quite the contrary. You tend to admire the inner strength of such women, so akin to their culture and ways of life. I once met a woman like that from Nigeria, whose brother worked as an Engineer in the local Shell corp. The way she moved, her similar dress and grooming, made me look twice and say: "Now THAT is a woman!" Sadly, as in Ben's case, yes, such a relationship is fraught with difficulties, chiefly because of the distance between 2 Worlds. She was uncomfortable in our 'civilized' World, and Ben would not be able to adapt well in hers. Besides, he wanted to resurrect his singing career, and Senegal would not have been the right place, maybe. That too was my case with the girl in question.. However, by then Ben understood 2 things - one of them being that he was a good man, a man without racial prejudice, open, simple and unpretentious. Such men are hard to come by these days. The second thing he realized I will not say. I will leave you to view the movie, and come to your own conclusions.

So it's not the stomping, heart-throbbing drama like you see in other movies, but it will keep you interested and thinking all the way, and that, my friends, is basically what a good story is all about. Fine acting, plausible story, so true to real life. Well worth the 10 points!

I found this film to very well written and directed. The story is about the life we all lead and all its obstacles, which are superbly edited to show them to us, but not too grimly.

It pats you on the back relatively quickly with elements that seem extraordinary but really are natural phenomenons and not to be taken seriously. It generously shows how seeing the world in such a way can impact harshly on you, but how you still learn from the experience.

It grasps upon the warmth and clarity that can be gained from truly compatible relationships when looking at the world through these eyes, in this way, it presents a seek and you shall find attitude.

The ending is... well when you find the end, there will be the beginning. One of my favorite films.

This is a smart, satisfying film, and a triumph for Broderick. We haven't seen such a great anti-establishment hero since The Big Lebowski.

All the characters are brilliantly written by Goldin, and, likewise, brilliantly portrayed by the actors. Matthew Broderick's performance as Ben Singer has an assured and measured nuance -- a really fine role. Michael Williams (Ibu) shows his impressive range with a wonderful character, so distinct from his iconic Omar on The Wire. Sanaa Lathan's Khadi is a strong memorable sensual beauty. Twelve year old Jodelle Ferland as Sandra, Ben's daughter, is a revelation and certainly a comer.

Wonderful World will make you laugh and it will make you cry. You want to go see this flick.

I saw this movie at the Tribeca Film Festival this past spring, and I was truly moved. It reminds me of "It's a Wonderful Life", one of those movies that really touches the soul. It's the story of a man who gets tripped up by his own negativity (reminds me of my husband!), but is actually a good person, and yearns to connect. It features Matthew Broderick's best performance since "Election", and I cried at the end. As did my two friends who came with me. We were totally unprepared to be so swept away by emotion. So many films these days are mindless crap, but this one is authentic and honest, and very very funny. I want the soundtrack too!

Also for "The Wire" fans, it also stars Omar, a.k.a Michael Williams, one of the greatest actors working today.